DITOR'S OVERVIEW
Identity Crisis
C
zech writer Franz Kafka wrote a short story, called "The
Metamorphosis," about a man who, overnight, was trans-
formed into a huge dung beetle. "As Gregor Samsa awoke
one morning from uneasy dreams," the story begins, "he found him-
self transformed into a gigantic insect." The rest of "The Metamor-
phosis" deals with poor Gregor and the Samsa family as they ad-
justed to this new and unfortunate set of circumstances.
Kafka's tale, however, wasn't meant to be science fiction. It meant,
instead, to deal with the problem commonly known as an "identity
crisis." Here was Gregor, toiling away at some dead-end job for no
other purpose than to support his parents and sister, who had grown
accustomed to the nice lifestyle that he had provided for them.
But who, really, was Gregor Samsa? Why was he there? What
was the purpose of his existence other than to allow his dad to read
the newspaper all morning or to give his sister the money to sleep
late, dress well, and go to parties?
However unique his approach, Kafka touched an issue that faces
not just individuals but entities, as well—and that is the question of
identity. For example, we call ourselves Seventh-day Adventists. But
who are we? Why are we here? What's the purpose of our movement?
How do we justify our existence? With so many other Protestant de-
nominations out there, why the Seventh-day Adventist Church?
The answer is, really, simple. Our identity is intricately tied in, if
not inseparably linked to, our message. What we believe, and what we
do with that belief make us who we are and justify our existence.
Without our message, without our distinctive teachings, we could wake
up one day and suddenly discover we're of no more importance or
significance than a beetle.
This quarter's guide,
Pillars of Our Faith,
looks at our core
doctrines, the teachings that make us Seventh-day Adventists, the
truths that give us our distinct identity. After all, what we believe
defines who we are, who we are defines why we are here, and why
we are here defines our purpose. We can no more separate our
identity from our mission than we can separate heat from fire. The
message
is
the mission. Only as we understand what we believe can
we know what we are to do.
Lesson author Dr. Joel Musvosvi, a native of Zimbabwe and (as of
the writing of this Bible Study Guide) ministerial secretary of the
Eastern Africa Division, understands these concepts. Thus he deftly
covers the teachings that give us our identity, purpose, and call. He
covers a lot of ground in the lessons. But that makes sense because, as
Seventh-day Adventists, we have a lot to say. And as long as we keep
believing it, as long as we keep saying it, our identity is sure. On the
other hand, the day we forget, the day these things depart from our
hearts, we might not wake up one day and discover we're a giant
beetle, but Gregor Samsa's problem will, nevertheless, be ours as well.
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